List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy
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Contents
Port squadrons
Type squadrons
Aircraft carriers
- 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron - British Pacific Fleet
- 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron - Home Fleet
- 3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron - listed in Flight, 20 April 1951, p. 483 with Home Fleet. Commanded at the time by then Rear-Admiral Caspar John.
- 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron - Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt hoisted his flag in HMS Colossus in August 1945, commanding the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron (HMS Colossus, HMS Venerable, HMS Vengeance, and HMS Glory). This force was sent to re-occupy Hong Kong.
- 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron - East Indies Station
- 30th Aircraft Carrier Squadron - Fleet Train, British Pacific Fleet, August 1945.[2]
Battleships
- 1st Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet
- 2nd Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet, 1919 Atlantic Fleet. 1932 Home Fleet
- 3rd Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet, 1919 Atlantic Fleet, 1932 Home Fleet
- 4th Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet
- 5th Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet
- 6th Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet
- 7th Battle Squadron
- 8th Battle Squadron
- 9th Battle Squadron-1914 Grand Fleet
Battlecruisers
- 1st Battlecruiser Squadron-1913 Grand Fleet.
- 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron-1914 Mediterranean Fleet, 1915 Grand Fleet.
- 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron-1915 Grand Fleet
- British Battlecruiser Squadron-1919-1932 Atlantic Fleet-1932 Home Fleet.
Cruisers
Starting around the time that steam cruisers became popular in the 1870s, the Royal Navy tended to organise such ships into groups called Cruiser Squadrons. Squadrons were commanded by a Rear-Admiral whose title was given as Flag Officer Cruiser Squadron n, or CSn for short (e.g. the officer commanding the 3rd Cruiser Squadron would be CS3).
During peace time the grouping was primarily for administrative purposes, but during war the whole squadron tended to be operated as a unified fighting unit and such units would train in this formation during peace. In the main fighting fleets (Home Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet) members of a given squadron were normally of the same or similar classes. The use of Cruiser Squadrons died out as the number of such ships decreased following World War II.
- 1st Cruiser Squadron-1939 Mediterranean Fleet, Second World War and afterwards - Mountbatten?[3]
- 2nd Cruiser Squadron -1914 Grand Fleet, HMS Minotaur, HMS Hampshire, HMS Shannon, and HMS Cochrane. 1932 Home Fleet in the interwar period. HMS Dorsetshire, HMS York and HMS Exeter in 1932.[4]
- 3rd Cruiser Squadron- Mediterranean Fleet
- 4th Cruiser Squadron:- 1939 East Indies Station HMS Gloucester, HMS Liverpool, HMS Manchester; 1945 British Pacific Fleet HMS Swiftsure, HMS Argonaut, HMS Black Prince, HMS Euryalus, HMNZS Gambia
- 5th Cruiser Squadron-1939 China Station HMS Cornwall HMS Dorsetshire HMS Kent HMS Birmingham. Post World War II Flag Officer Commanding was for a period an additional appointment for Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet.
- 6th Cruiser Squadron-1939 South Atlantic Station
- 7th Cruiser Squadron-1940 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Gloucester, HMS Neptune, HMS Orion, HMAS Sydney, and HMS Liverpool. On 21 June 1940, Bardia was bombarded by the 7th Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. The bombardment force consisted of the French battleship Lorraine, British cruisers HMS Orion and HMS Neptune, the Australia cruiser HMAS Sydney, and the destroyers HMS Dainty, Decoy, Hasty, and HMAS Stuart.[5] However the bombardment is reported to have only caused minimal damage.
- British 8th Cruiser Squadron-1939 West Indies Station
- British 9th Cruiser Squadron
- British 10th Cruiser Squadron - First World War operated Northern Patrol checking trade routes to Germany
- British 11th Cruiser Squadron
- British 12th Cruiser Squadron
- British 15th Cruiser Squadron 1942 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Cleopatra, Arethusa, Dido, Euryalus and Orion
- 18th Cruiser Squadron-1939 Home Fleet. Home Fleet/Nore 1940 - War Diary March-May 1940
- 1st Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 4th Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 5th Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 6th Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 7th Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
Defence boats
Destroyers
- 1st Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 2nd Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 3rd Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 4th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 5th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom) - 5th Destroyer Flotilla became 5th Destroyer Squadron in 1950-51, with HMS Solebay (D70) as leader.[6] Portsmouth from 4.81-2.02. Included HMS Exeter, HMS Southampton (8.1981-), HMS Liverpool (5.1982-) HMS Nottingham (from 11.1982-), HMS Manchester (D95) (from 11.82-), and HMS Gloucester (from 5.1985-). Captain D5 was aboard HMS Exeter in the 1980s.
- 6th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 7th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
- 8th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
Escorts
- British 21st Escort Squadron
- British 22nd Escort Squadron
- British 23rd Escort Squadron
- British 24th Escort Squadron
- British 25th Escort Squadron
- British 26th Escort Squadron
- British 27th Escort Squadron
- British 28th Escort Squadron
- British 29th Escort Squadron
- British 30th Escort Squadron
Fast patrol boats
- British 1st Fast Patrol Boat Squadron
- British 2nd Fast Patrol Boat Squadron
- British Fast Patrol Boat Squadron
Fisheries
Frigates
- 1st Frigate Squadron
- 2nd Frigate Squadron
- 3rd Frigate Squadron - postwar, was with Far East Fleet, at Singapore and Hong Kong. Flag at one point in HMS Loch Killisport. On November 21, 1960, the 3rd Frigate Squadron, together for the last time, shaped course for Singapore.
- 4th Frigate Squadron - postwar with Far East Fleet. Made up of Amazon class frigates in the 1980s.
- 5th Frigate Squadron
- 6th Frigate Squadron
- 7th Frigate Squadron
- 8th Frigate Squadron
- 9th Frigate Squadron
- 17th Frigate Squadron
- 20th Frigate Squadron - anti-submarine warfare training squadron based in Londonderry during the 1960s.
Minesweepers
Coastal minesweepers
- British 100th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 101st Minesweeper Squadron
- British 105th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 106th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 108th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 120th Minesweeper Squadron Hong Kong 1951-1962
Fleet minesweepers
- British 1st Minesweeper Squadron
- British 2nd Minesweeper Squadron
- British 3rd Minesweeper Squadron
- British 4th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 5th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 6th Minesweeper Squadron
Inshore minesweepers
- British 50th Minesweeper Squadron
- British 51st Minesweeper Squadron
- British 52nd Minesweeper Squadron
- British 232nd Minesweeper Squadron
Mine countermeasures
- British 1st Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 2nd Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 3rd Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 5th Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 6th Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 7th Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 8th Minecountermeasures Squadron Hong Kong 1962 - 1967
- British 9th Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 10th Minecountermeasures Squadron
- British 11th Minecountermeasures Squadron
Submarines
- 1st Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - HMS Dolphin, Gosport.
- 2nd Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - HMNB Devonport, Plymouth.
- 3rd Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - HMNB Clyde, Faslane.
- 4th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - with China Station 1939. With headquarters at Singapore, the then-named Fourth Submarine Flotilla comprised Rorqual, Grampus, Regent, Rover, Parthian, Olympus, Proteus, Regulus, Rainbow, Phoenix, Perseus, Pandora Orpheus, Odin, and Otus.[7] Trincomalee May 1944, Perth, Australia, after October 1944 supported by the depot ship HMS Adamant. Australia postwar (decision to host flotilla seems to have been made in 1949). The 4th Submarine Squadron, which included "T" class submarines, was disbanded on 10 January 1969 when the 1st Australian Submarine Squadron comprising HMAS Otway and HMAS Oxley was founded.[8] HMS Trump departed Sydney for the United Kingdom that day.
- 5th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - Malta.
- 6th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - Nova Scotia.
- 7th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - Singapore.
- 10th Submarine Squadron (United Kingdom) - strategic nuclear missile submarines based HMNB Clyde, Faslane.
Training
- British 2nd Training Squadron
- British 3rd Training Squadron
- British 4th Training Squadron
- British Home Fleet Training Squadron
Flotillas
Destroyers
See Pennant number#Flotilla bands
- British 1st Destroyer Flotilla:
- September 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Grenville (F)
- 1st Destroyer Division HMS Gallant, HMS Glowworm, HMS Grafton, HMS Greyhound[9]
- 2nd Destroyer Division HMS Garland, HMS Gipsy, HMS Grenade, HMS Griffin[9]
- September 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Grenville (F)
- British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla:
- 1932 - 1935 Home Fleet 1935 - 1936 Red Sea, 1936 - 1937 Spanish Waters HMS Kempenfelt, HMS Comet, HMS Crusader, HMS Cygnet, HMS Crescent (All ships sold to Royal Canadian Navy from 1937 - 1939.
- 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Hardy (F)
- 3rd Destroyer Division HMS Hasty, HMS Hostile, HMS Hereward, HMS Hero[9]
- 4th Destroyer Division HMS Havock, HMS Hotspur, HMS Hyperion, HMS Hunter[9]
- British 3rd Destroyer Flotilla:
- 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Inglefield' (F)
- 5th Destroyer Division HMS Ilex, HMS Isis, HMS Imperial, HMS Imogen[9]
- 6th Destroyer Division HMS Ivanhoe, HMS Impulsive, HMS Intrepid, HMS Icarus[9]
- 1954 Home Fleet HMS St. Kitts
- 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Inglefield' (F)
- British 4th Destroyer Flotilla:
- 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Afridi (F)
- 7th Destroyer Division HMS Afridi, HMS Gurkha, HMS Mohawk, HMS Sikh[9]
- 8th Destroyer Division HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Nubian, HMS Zulu[9]
- 1945 British Pacific Fleet HMAS Quickmatch, HMAS Quiberon, HMAS Queenborough, HMS Quality.
- 1951 Home Fleet HMS Agincourt
- 1939 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Afridi (F)
- British 5th Destroyer Flotilla: 1932 Home Fleet
- 1948 Home Fleet HMS St. Kitts
- British 6th Destroyer Flotilla: 1932 Home Fleet; 1939 Home Fleet HMS Somali
- 1939 11th Destroyer Division HMS Matabele, HMS Ashanti, HMS Mashona, HMS Somali(F)[10]
- 1939 12th Destroyer Division HMS Punjabi, HMS Tarter, HMS Bedouin, HMS Eskimo[10]
- British 7th Destroyer Flotilla: 1941 British Eastern Fleet HMAS Norman, HMAS Napier, HMAS Nestor and HMAS Nizam.
- British 8th Destroyer Flotilla:
- 1939 Home Fleet; HMS Faulknor
- 1939 15th Destroyer Division HMS Foxhound, HMS Fearless, HMS Fury, HMS Forester[10]
- 1939 16th Destroyer Division HMS Foresight, HMS Fortune, HMS Fame, HMS Firedrake[10]
- 1940 Force H HMS Faulknor, HMS Forester, HMS Foresight, HMS Firedrake, HMS Fortune, HMS Fearless, HMS Fury, HMS Foxhound
- 1939 Home Fleet; HMS Faulknor
- British 9th Destroyer Flotilla:
- British 10th Destroyer Flotilla:1940 Mediterranean Fleet
- 19th Destroyer Division (Scrap Iron Flotilla) HMAS Stuart, HMAS Vampire, HMAS Voyager, HMAS Vendetta, HMAS Waterhen[11]
- 20th Destroyer Division HMS Dainty, HMS Diamond, HMS Decoy, HMS Defender[11]
- British 11th Destroyer Flotilla: 1939 Home Fleet HMS Vanquisher, HMS Vansittart, HMS Vimy, HMS Walker, HMS Warwick, HMS Whirlwind and HMS Winchelsea
- British 12th Destroyer Flotilla
- British 13th Destroyer Flotilla
- British 14th Destroyer Flotilla:1942 Mediterranean Fleet HMS Jervis, Javelin, Kelvin, Nubian, Pakenham, Paladin and Petard
- British 15th Destroyer Flotilla
- 1939 Rosyth Command
- 29th Destroyer Division HMS Broke, HMS Wanderer, HMS Whitehall, HMS Witch[12]
- 30th Destroyer Division HMS Wolverine, HMS Witherington, HMSVolunteer, HMS Verity[12]
- 1939 Rosyth Command
- British 16th Destroyer Flotilla1939 Portsmouth Command
- British 17th Destroyer Flotilla
- British 18th Destroyer Flotilla 1939 Home Fleet HMS Kempenfelt(1939-1939 (transferred to RCN)
- British 19th Destroyer Flotilla:
- 1939 Nore Command HMS Codrington (F)[13]
- 37th Destroyer Division HMS Basilisk, HMS Beagle, HMS Beagle[13]
- 38th Destroyer Division HMS Blanche, HMS Brazen, HMS Brilliant, HMS Boadicea[13]
- 1940 Force H HMS Lagos, HMS Laforey, HMS Lightning, HMS Lance, HMS Lively
- 1945 to 1946 HMS Trafalgar (flotilla leader), HMS Armada, HMS Barfleur, HMS Hogue, HMS Lagos, HMS Camperdown and HMS Finisterre.
- 1939 Nore Command HMS Codrington (F)[13]
- British 20th Destroyer Flotilla
- British 21st Destroyer Flotilla:1939 China Station HMS Duncan, HMS Decoy, HMS Defender, HMS Delight, HMS Duchess, HMS Dainty, HMS Daring, HMS Diamond and HMS Diana
- British 22nd Destroyer Flotilla
- British 23rd Destroyer Flotilla: formerly French small destroyers Bouclier, Branlebas, L'Incomprise, La Cordeliere, La Flore, La Melpomène
- British 24th Destroyer Flotilla
- British 25th Destroyer Flotilla: 1945 British Pacific Fleet HMS Grenville, HMS Ulster, HMS Undine, HMS Urania, HMS Undaunted, HMS Ursa, HMS Ulysses, HMS Urchin
- British 26th Destroyer Flotilla: 1945 British Eastern Fleet HMS Saumarez, HMS Verulam, HMS Venus and HMS Virago
- British 27th Destroyer Flotilla: 1945 British Pacific Fleet HMS Kempenfelt, HMS Wager, HMS Wakeful, HMS Wessex, HMS Whelp, HMS Whirlwind, HMS Wizard.[14]
- British 28th Destroyer Flotilla:
- British 29th Destroyer Flotilla:
Escorts
- British 1st Escort Flotilla
- British 2nd Escort Flotilla
- British 3rd Escort Flotilla
- British 4th Escort Flotilla
- British 5th Escort Flotilla
Minesweepers
Motor torpedo boats
Submarines
- British 1st Submarine Flotilla
- British 2nd Submarine Flotilla
- British 3rd Submarine Flotilla
- 4th Submarine Flotilla (United Kingdom) 1939: Medway, Westcott, Grampus, Rorqual, Odin, Otus, Olympus, Parthian, Regent, Rover, Orpheus, Pandora, Perseus, Phoenix, Rainbow, Regulus, Proteus
- 5th Submarine Flotilla (United Kingdom)
- 7th Submarine Flotilla, part of Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic. At Freetown, Sierra Leone, 3 September 1939, comprised HMS Clyde and HMS Severn.[15]
Training
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Graham Watson, Royal Navy: Fleet Air Arm, August 1945, v 1.0, April 7, 2002, Orbat.com
- ↑ Orbat.com, Mediterranean Fleet, 3 September 1939
- ↑ Home Fleet listing for 1933
- ↑ http://www.sydneymemorial.com/history.htm, and Jürgen Rohwer (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-119-8, p.29. Rohmer adds HMS Achilles.
- ↑ Naval History.net, Royal Navy organisation 1947-2013
- ↑ Orbat.com/Niehorster, http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_navy/china-station_submarines.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The British Pacific Fleet
- ↑ http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_navy/south-atlantic.html
